Thursday, February 9, 2012

Valentine Card Keeper Tutorial & Giveaway

ETA: Thanks so much to all of you who entered the giveaway!

The random number generator chose comment #110...

Congratulations, and I'll be in contact with you very soon!

~Jessica

Today's my stop on Melissa's Simply Charmed Blog Hop!
I'm going to show you how to make a quilted fabric envelope to keep all those special Valentine's in. I have a drawer will all these odd shaped love notes from my kids, and this will be a great way to keep them safe and organized.(The picture above shows the card keeper open and the one below is of it folded up and closed.)

First arrange your fabric squares in three rows with 7 squares in each row. The rick rack is going to be inserted in the second seam from the right, so you can place it there to get an idea of what it's going to look like.

Start by sewing your first two columns together. Sew the third column together and then you're going to stitch the rick rack onto that column.

Use a coordinating thread and your 1/4" piecing foot to keep the rick rack lined up with the edge of your column.

Now, stitch your piece with the rick rack trim together with the block you first sewed together.

Press and continue to sew the rest of the blocks together.

Here I have all of the 21 squares sewn together.

Now, we're going to get the piece ready for quilting. Lay your backing fabric out (right side down) and pin or tape to the surface you're using. Layer with the batting and the patchwork top you just made.

I like to pin baste my quilts, but you can also spray baste or use whatever method you like.

I've been wanting to try some different quilting designs and this project was nice and small to be able to try something new. I thought of a "chained heart" design. I just quilted two chains of the hearts in each column.

Some hearts are big and some are small and some are a little more wonky than others, but it was fun to try a different quilting design.

Once you are finished quilting, you can trim the piece up to about 13.75" x 31.25". Then grab the fabric strips you are using for binding. I'm using some extra binding left over from a quilt. Prepare your 2.5" strips by folding them in half lengthwise and pressing them with the iron (just like a normal quilt binding).

Attach the binding to the inside pocket edges from the back and wrapping it around to the front.

I top stitched the binding from the front to finish off each edge.

Fold the ends toward the center, measuring them about 6.5" with your ruler.

Pin the folded edges.

Stitch close to the edge along the top and bottom of the piece. This will help hold everything in place when attaching the binding to those edges.

Use the remaining binding and attach it to the top and bottom edges.

I chose to hand stitch these portions of the binding closed and the picture above shows how to cover the edge. Fold the short edge in (about 1/2") and fold the fabric down in, to create a angled corner. Then fold the binding around the raw edges, encasing the corner and hand stitch it on.

And, that's it! Now you have a great place to keep all your favorite Valentines.

I hope you enjoy making one of these. I think they could be made in many different sizes and styles to suit your taste!

Please leave a comment on this post to be entered to win a $25.00 gift certificate to The Intrepid Thread and tell me something that you like or don't like about Valentine's Day!
I'll choose a winner by random number on February 15, so you have lots of time to enter.

Here's the other stops on the tour:
February 1 - Melissa from Happy Quilting

I Love Valentines day - first I love to decorate with red and pink in the middle of winter, it brightens things up and second I LOVE chocolate! I love this pattern too- going to make one today to put all my cards in and have them in 1 placethanksDorothy in IL

For a long time I diliked the idea of Valentine's day. I thought, why not show your love all year round instead of just on one day. Then we started our family Valentine's Dinner! Oh my, we look forward to Valentine's Day just like we look forward to Christmas. My 16 year old even told her boyfriend of six months that he could come over for Valentine's day but they couldn't go out..."That's a special family day for us!" she said. <3

I don't like hype about days like Valentines. But I do like that it makes people think about each other a little more than usual; maybe. We should be the same to one another everyday....thanks for the giveaway.

The fun thing on Valentine's Day that I like to making all kinds of food items in heart shapes....pancakes at breakfast, my bread for my sandwich at lunch, cupcakes in heart shapes for dessert.Silly, but fun!

My favorite part of Valentine's Day is, that it was my maiden name. Every year my father would come home with 1 large heart shaped box and 2 smaller heart shaped boxes, for my mother, my sister and I. Now that we're older and married my father buys us all flowers. He'll always be my Valentine. ;->

I love all the crafts that go along with Valentine's day, but I don't love that they are soooo girly and just don't jive with my boys or husband. So I'm NOT making anything sweet for them - they appreciate food more! ;)

Thanks for the cute tutorial. Love it. Valentines Day is a "cute" holiday. I love the color red so this holiday brings out the "red" in me. The decorations make me smile. My husband and I really don't celebrate the day but I still like the sentiment that surrounds the day. Thanks for the great giveaway.

I do like the fact that Valentine's Day gives us the push to let our loved ones know that they are truly loved and appreciated. I do not like all the commercial pressure and retail hype associated with Valentine's Day lately! Thanks for the great giveaway!

I like the little valentines that are sent with the kids. My favorite color is red so I also like seeing all that extra red in stores. I like your tutorial very much. It would be a great place to put my saved cards and notes from the kids. Thanks.

Great tutorial for a special card wallet. Well done. I'm not a big fan of Valentine's day...seems forced to me...but I do enjoy the chcocolate peanutbutter hearts available in the stores around then. Thanks for the chance at your giveaway.

I do like valentines day, although when the kids get to a certain age (eldest in 3rd grade but it's a mixed age class) it's hard to tell when to stop with the valentines for their class, so this v-day I am confused. That said, I like the idea of a day to celebrate the ones we love!

When I was little my mother bought my sister and I add-a-pearl necklaces. Each year for Valentines and birthdays she would add a pearl to the necklace. Now that I am older, the necklace is complete and a great reminder of my mother's love.

It bugs me that people have forgotten that Valentine's day started as (and still is) a saints day. So when others go on about it being created by the card industry I want to correct them. It really is a holiday that was started because someone so loved someone else!

Valentine's day to me has gotten too commercial (was it ever not?) just like Christmas. We don't really celebrate Valentine's day here because we make sure to show and tell our love for each other every day.

I also think it's too commercial...I don't like an industry telling us we need to give cards, gifts, go out to dinner, etc. To me, my wedding anniversary is much more meaningful. But, I think Valentine's day can be very fun for kids.

Thank you for the lovely tutorial. I have lots of little notes and cards my children (now 23 and 26) made over the years. This would be a lovely way to save them.I love the colors of Valentine's Day. All year long I prefer the cool blue tones, but winter makes me crave something bright and Valentine's day offers that little boost of brightness.

My favorite thing about Valentine's Day is the sale of discounted "good" chocolates after Valentine's Day. Special dark is the best. Thanks to you and Intrepid Thread for this giveaway. I especially liked your use of ric-rac on the card keeper envelope and the Brrr! quilt.

First, thank you to both you *and* Intrepid Thread for the chance to win-- gift certificates are the BEST prizes ever!! Shopping is SUCH fun! :-)

Valentine's Day is such a fun day-- a time to show loved ones how much they mean to you... it doesn't have to be a big or expensive thing-- some of my most cherished Valentines have been the handmade cards my girls have given me over the years.. I love all the pretty pinks and reds, the flowers-- both roses and wildflowers, and (best of all to a chocoholic like me) the delicious chocolates!!! :-) Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

What a beautiful card keeper. Thanks for a grest tutorial. I really like this design. You're right, this is the perfect size to practice quilting on. I like the idea behind Valentines, I just don't like how commercial it is. Seems like December isn't over before the stores have their Valentines Day displays up.

Thank you and the Intrepid Thread for a super giveaway and a chance to win.

I am not a V day fan. When my husband & I first got married we didn't have a lot of money so V day celebrations went out the window and we have just continued to do that. Our Anniversary is in March so we usually do something bigger for that.

What a sweet project.The thing I like and dislike most about Valentine's Day is chocolate. I like that I get it and eat it and dislike that my clothes are too tight afterwards. I have a bit of a problem when it comes to chocolate and self-control.

I think the biggest complaint I have about Valentine's Day is that no matter where you go to eat or what traditional type gift you buy the prices for that one day have been doubled, if not more JUST because those places know we must buy those gifts or eat in their restaurants. I think it's terrible. A few years ago I told my husband that I do NOT want roses on Valentine's Day no matter how much I love roses. I hate the fact that he can buy that same dozen roses the day before for about $10 or less in some shops near us but on Valentine's Day those same stores sell them for $50 a dozen or more.

thanx for the pattern; it's good for lots of things to keep. but one of the nice things about valentines are the flowers ... red, or pink, or white. love the bouquets, even those from the local grocery store, picked up at the last minute!

Don't mean to be a downer but the thing about Valentine's Day is it is such a "Hallmark" holiday. Would rather have a spontaneous gift from my darlin' husband (Too much to ask for???). Would love to win a gc to The Intrepid Thread.slmcgann@verizon.net

awww this is awesome! I'd make this in a heartbeat if I had the cute pink fabrics. I might just make it anyway. My favorite thing about valentines day is knowing that I'm already with the person i love and will be forever. I like to spoil him by making his favorite food.

You know, I actually should make this... I know several members of my family that hold on to every card they ever received and this would be much cuter than a ziplock baggie or cardboard box or just stacked on a shelf.

Thanks for the great idea! My cards and letters from my children are just scattered in the drawer of my nightstand. I'm making this for sure! I love Valentine's Day because of the letters I get from my husband and my now grown children. What treasures!

Great tutorial! Love the idea; I can really use something to hold all those cards I just can't throw away. =) What I love about Valentine's Day...hmmmmmm. I love that it forces my husband to take time out and think about what I might like to do. He's very considerate but having a family, it's not often that it is just about what I would like.

I like Valentines Day for a fun February holiday of love but I do dislike the media advertising & the push to make it such a commercial holiday. My anniversary is also in Feb. so I love the whole month.

I just love all the gushiness of Valentine's Day although I never my hubby and I don't really do anything for it. I think your love should be shown every day, not just on that one "special" day. Every day should be special.

The holder is a great idea, thanks! Something I like about Valentine's Day, even though my husband died a couple of years ago, there are still people in my life to whom I can give wonderful Valentine cookies or cute homemade Valentine goodies.

I remember being so careful to make sure the messages on the candy hearts were the right ones for each classmate. Didn't matter with the girls but heaven forbid, you gave I luv U to a guy, even the one you secretly luved!Now I watch my grandkids as they read the messages and giggle. Some things never change.

Don't like the feeling that I HAVE to do something special, should be doing that all year long. I still give my husband a card, but if he didn't give me one (unlikely), that would be fine too. Love the added rick rack, adds that extra something that makes the project shine.

My parents were married on valentines day. It wasn't till I was married that I realized how special that was. It's a little strange thinking about your parents being young and romantically in love with one another. So when we celebrated their anniversary we kids got to have a valentines day with our honey, too!!!!

This is such a neat idea!!! I love the excuse to eat lots of dark chocolate for Valentine's Day, but I do not like that our anniversary falls so close to Valentine's Day as we will usually end up combining the two!

It's bittersweet. My first wedding was on Valentine's Day. He figured he couldn't forget it if we got married on that day . Now I'm remarried to a really romantic guy, who makes everyday Valentine's Day.

What I LOVE about Valentine's Day is my husband. He gets the sweetest card and writes the perfect note in there to me. I also love the fact that my 4 1/2 year old son is also starting to like making his own Valentine's Day cards. Thanks for the chance to win your "sweet" giveaway.

I don't like valentines day very much. It has become to commercial. I love small attentions, but that could be anything, just one flower, a handwritten card or a good homecooked diner for two. It's the little things that matter to me.